France

Here is some information I gathered about France back when I was planning on moving there (2009-2010).

Life in France

Living and Working in France, 9^th Edition. by David Hampshire. An informative guide written by a British expat. Contains general information about just about everything!
Cultural Misunderstandings. By Raymonde Carroll. Talks about the most common differences between French and American customs and culture. A very interesting read!
To better understand France & the French – Tips on just about everything. I’ll bet there’s a lot in here that you never knew!
“Living in France” – Key expatriate websites and resources. This page links to a TON of resources.
Transitions Abroad - Great site for expatriates. Includes extremely helpful articles for living in France.
Expat-blog.com - A listing of expatriate blog sites from all over the world! It’s better than a guidebook; you get first-hand accounts from people who are actually on site & living in it.
Expatica.com – Contains lots of information on life in France, including housing, entertainment, job search tips, survival strategies, and classifieds.

Craigslist Paris – You have to weed through lots of short-term/travel stay offers, but this site is incredibly simple and easy to use. Plus, the majority of listings include pictures.
FUSAC Paris - Classifieds for Anglophones in Paris. Includes sections on housing, work and other classifieds.
ColocationFrance.fr – (en français) – Find a roommate in France.
Appartager.com - (en français) Apartment shares in France. Plus, the name of the site is a play on the French words “appartement” (apartment) and “à partager” (to share). Who doesn’t love a good pun?!
Colocatrices.com – (en français) – “Annonces de colocation entre filles.” If you’re a girl and you need a female roommate, this is the place to look! Disclaimer: this is an extremely girly site, though, so be prepared to see a lot of hot pink when you click that link!

iagora.com – CV tips & job searches.
Short-term & summer jobs in France – For those of you who are only looking for short-term employment.
“Working in France: How Non-Europeans Can Work Legally” – Article by Finn Skovgaard. For non-Europeans, it’s difficult to get that work visa, but it is not impossible. Finn Skovgaard explains how.
“Working in France” – Article by Liza Hall. An extremely encouraging article – “where there’s a will, there’s a job,” she says.
“Teach English in France” – Article by Sara Wilson. A short article on the assistance through the French government.
“Teaching English in France: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success” – Article by Amber Foster. This is definitely something that you’ll want to read if you are planning on teaching English in France. She tells you what you need to do to find a job at a school in France without doing the assistance program. A must-read!

Campus France USA - Connecting Americans to French universities. (Site also available in English.)
Erasmus Mundus (en français) – Getting your masters degree in France.

C’est la vie, by Suzy Gershman. These are the experiences of an American woman who moves to Paris after her husband’s death. She planned on staying only a year, but within a matter of months realizes that she belongs in France.
Almost French, by Sarah Turnbull. This Paris book is written from the point of view of an Australian journalist who moves to Paris to live with a Frenchman she barely knew. It ended up being a good thing, though, and she tells humorous stories about the development of her cross-cultural love affair.
All You Need to Be Impossibly French, by Helena Frith Powell. This British woman digs deep into the psyche of French women to discover just what it is that makes them so fabulously chic. In the process, she makes an interesting comparison between Anglo-Saxon culture and the French, and covers such topics as underwear, lipstick, staying thin, skin creams, friendships and adultery. (I read this book in two days, it was so interesting!)

last updated 30 June 2009